It’s a pleasure to present the antique finish version of the Sir Lancelot bullion coin, the second antique finish coin in our Camelot BU Edition series. Sir Lancelot, also known as Lancelot of the Lake, is one of the most prominent knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legends. Son of King Ban of Benoic, he was raised by the magical Lady of the Lake, who taught him chivalric virtues. Renowned for his bravery, loyalty and skill in combat, he is considered the most powerful of the knights of Camelot.
However, his life is marked by tragedy because of his forbidden love for Queen Guinevere, King Arthur’s wife. This romance, though passionate, sparks internal strife in Camelot and contributes to its downfall.
Lancelot also participates in the quest for the Holy Grail, but, although he is a great knight, his love for Guinevere and his personal failings prevent him from attaining it. It is his son, Sir Galahad, who achieves the goal, standing out as the purest knight.
Sir Lancelot embodies the duality between the chivalric ideal and human weaknesses, being a complex, heroic and tragic figure within Arthurian mythology.
The reverse of the coin shows Sir Lancelot, Queen Guinevere and several of Mordred’s knights attempting to assault her. Guinevere has been caught in the forest while strolling along a riverbank, when an adventurer named Lancelot, who was not yet a knight, nor did he know the Queen, King Arthur or Camelot, intercedes to protect her and save her from the attempted abduction by the knights of Mordred, former knight of the Round Table and current enemy of Camelot.
The obverse of the coin features the twelve shields and names of the twelve houses of Camelot, that of Arthur Pendragon, King of Britain, and eleven other knights in the series. Sir Lancelot’s shield is plated in 24k gold.
